MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Havas Media has announced the launch of mobile marketing brand Mobext in Singapore and Malaysia with Michael de Souza being appointed General Manager of the newly launched agency

    Havas Media launches Mobext in S’pore, M’sia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Havas Media has announced the launch of mobile marketing brand Mobext in Singapore and Malaysia with Michael de Souza being appointed General Manager of the newly launched agency.

     

    Mobext Singapore and Malaysia will leverage the strengths of sister agency MPG and Havas Digital siblings Media Contacts and Ecselis and their strong portfolio of clients like Resorts World Sentosa, DBS Bank, NTUC Fairprice, Abbott, to expand its business in the market.

     

    Currently present in 19 markets globally, Mobext offers an end-to-end mobile marketing agency service to clients. The agency’s offering in Singapore will include messaging services like sms and download; mobile internet services like WAP consulting and development, mobile display, mobile search; proximity based services including LBS and mapping. It will also offer integration through reporting and analytics by Havas Digital’s campaign management platform.

     

    Mr de Souza is a digital strategist with broad agency, ad network, media planning and content development experience. He joins the agency from global advertising network Buzzcity Pte Ltd, where he served as a VP for Media. During his 12-year career, he has managed cross-channel campaigns and developed content for brands including Coca-Cola, Nestle, EAGames, Disney, Nike and MTN.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media Asia Pacific said, “Singapore and Malaysia are strategically important markets for Havas Media and very advanced when it comes to mobile penetration and usage. We think that the time is just right for the launch of Mobext in the two markets. Our vision is to be the only pure-play mobile marketing agency network with truly regional scale across the entire Asia-Pacific, with strong mobile leaders in every major Asian market. This will allow us to work with the largest advertisers across the region for region-wide mobile marketing agency campaigns.”

     

    The launch of Mobext in Singapore follows the launch of the agency brand in Asia Pacific starting from India in the second quarter of 2011. This year in February, the media group acquired a majority stake in Snapworx Mobile Inc in the Philippines, following which the agency was rebranded as Mobext.

     

  • The lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times is completing five years soon. Taking the celebrations to the audiences, the channel has announced the launch of new shows in the coming months

    NDTV Good Times completes five years

    By A Correspondent

     

    The lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times is completing five years soon. Taking the celebrations to the audiences, the channel has announced the launch of new shows in the coming months. While the Second Season of the popular food show Vicky Goes Veg and the new season of Aditya Bal’s Chakh Le series are scheduled for September; October will see The Kingfisher Calendar Hunt in its fourth season.

     

    The channel will also enter the all-new segment of home d̩cor with the introduction of two completely novel shows РWhole New World, and Living Right Royally under the Royal Reservation brand umbrella.

     

    Smeeta Chakrabarti, CEO, NDTV Lifestyle, said, “As a team, we have endeavoured to offer novel and trend setting content to our viewers. This year will see more innovative programming, with our foray in to clutter breaking home segment programming, and as custodians of Indian Lifestyle, our soon to be announced Lifestyle Awards in November.”

     

    Shibani Sharma Khanna, Channel Director, NDTV Good Times, said, “We are elated to turn five. NDTV Good Times has always strived to offer the best programming and we have managed to raise the bar higher with each offering. We promise to offer more vigour, zest and diversity with new formats and genres in the coming year and would like to thank our viewers for their constant love and support.”

     

    Projit Chakrabarti, Head, Marketing Services, said, “On the back of our genre defining programming and clutter breaking content initiatives, we’ve literally created a new season – summer, spring, autumn, winter and Good Times. And one needs only tune-in, log-on or walk-in to live the good times.” NDTV Good Times continues to enjoy its niche position as lifestyle channel in the country, with Highway On My Plate, Kingfisher Calendar Hunt, I’m Too Sexy, Heavy Petting, Band Baajaa Bride, Chakh Le India and No Big Deal as its most popular and loved shows.

     

    Beamed directly across international markets such as US, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Maldives, the channel is present across all major analogue cable markets, and all six DTH platforms in India.

     

  • The first edition of PRAXIS, the first weekend summit in India by and for Indian PR and Corp Comm professionals, is to be held at Pondicherry on November 23 and 24

    PRomise Foundation for PR announces PRAXIS 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    The PRomise Foundation for Public Relations, has announced PRAXIS 2012 – India’s first weekend summit for Public Relations and Corporate Communications professionals to be held at Le Pondy in Pondicherry on November 23 and 24. The summit will bring together students, professionals: young & mid-level and veterans of the Public Relations business under one roof to discuss various aspects that impact the profession.

     

    The summit will be inaugurated by Prof. Dr. J. V. Vil’anilam, author of Public Relations in India and former Vice Chancellor – Kerala University who will make opening remarks. The inaugural keynote address will be by eminent PR practitioner and New Jersey based author of several bestsellers on Public Relations -Deirdre Breakenridge who is making her debut India visit exclusively for the summit.

     

    There will be three power panels with PR firm leaders and senior corporate communicators discussing Creativity, Measurement and Talent in Public Relations besides a special session on the art of Storytelling by two bestselling authors Anita Nair and Ashwin Sanghi. Another summit highlight will be Rapid Fire, a series of short presentations by nine professionals from different walks of life sharing their experiences and contributions to the business of Public Relations in India.

     

    The inaugural gala will include a live concert and the second day will have a special keynote address by an eminent personality. Both these elements are being finalized and will be announced in due course. The event sponsors will be some of the leading public relations firms, a media measurement company and an academic institute among others. The Holmes Report will be a media partner. Participants may register by accessing the microsite at bit.ly/PRAXIS2012

     

    The Foundation has a Board of Advisors consisting of senior professionals from academics, media, corporate communications, marketing and business. A Board of Mentors comprises country heads of the leading Public Relations firms. The younger professionals consist of Supporters and Friends who contribute time and ideas to the smooth running of the various initiatives.

     

    Shane Jacob and Amith Prabhu, both of whom work full-time with leading Public Relations firms, are summit co-chairs and are putting together PRAXIS 2012 in their spare time with the help of like-minded professionals from 15 other organisations who are all trying to create a platform for the profession on a voluntary basis.

     

    The PRomise foundation is a one of a kind non-profit that has been created by young Public Relations and Corporate Communications professionals with one goal: To do PR for Public Relations. It is guided by a Board of Advisors and a Board of Mentors. Its initiatives are managed by volunteers who contribute time and ideas as Trustees, Supporters and Friends. More information at www.promisefoundation.com

    CONTACT – Email: promisefoundationforpr@gmail.com; Twitter: @PRomiseFdn; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/iprcc/

     

  • Cheil has taken on new team heads for Activations, Interactive and Retail

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia adds to leadership strength

    Vikas Khanna
    Rajesh Bhatia
    Manish Shukla

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia has announced the appointments of Vikas Khanna as Head - Activations, Rajesh Bhatia as Head – Interactive and Manish Shukla as Head of Retail.

     

    Mr Bhatia joins from Euro RSCG 4D where he was President; Mr Khanna from G2Rams- a WPP group company aligned with Grey Worldwide where he was VP & Branch Head, and Mr Shukla from Retailscape.

     

    Confirming the appointments, Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil WW, SW Asia said, “The story of our growth trajectory is already known. Nima’s joining has tripled our creative strength. Now with Vikas, Rajesh and Manish on board, our leadership team has become even stronger. This enables us to further capitalise on the demands of the marketplace and take brand Cheil to even greater heights.”

     

    A digital evangelist with over 17 years of work experience, Rajesh Bhatia has been driving innovative digital and integrated marketing strategies for some of the leading global brands including Nokia, IBM, Max Life Insurance, Airtel, Reckitt Bencksier (Dettol, Harpic, Vanish, Veet, Mortein) and Unilever, among others.

     

    Having taken to digital and data led consumer marketing almost a decade ago, Mr Bhatia has been a part of the evolution of new age communication in India and has been helping brands transition from traditional marketing communication to effective marketing in the digital world. Leveraging his rich experience and core competency of ‘creating ideas and concepts’, he has been the chief architect and creator of one of India’s largest virtual communities – igenius (www.igenious.org) for Max Life Insurance.

     

    An experienced professional in events, BTL and activation, Vikas Khanna comes with over 13 years of work experience. His extensive understanding of the business has earned him a longstanding portfolio of client relationships.

     

    Over the years he has managed brands including BlackBerry (RIM), Cisco, Audi, BMW, M3M, Genpact, Hyundai, GE, Canara HSBC, ITDC, HTC, among others.

     

    Manish Shukla brings with him a wide range of business expertise, experience and relationships in the area of Retail Marketing & Management. Over the years he has consulted to a wide range of clients such as HUL-Wall’s Ice cream – Danone International, Evian, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Bacardi – Martini, Bharat Shell, Braun, Parker, Airtel, Shaw Wallace, Samsung, LG – CDMA Phones and Barista Coffee Bars. He moves from Retailscape which he set up in 1996.

     

  • Mother Dairy milk has changed its milk pack with a new exciting look. The new look of village graphics highlights how milk from the farm reaches the consumer's home

    Mother Dairy milk revamps packaging

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mother Dairy milk has changed its milk pack with a new exciting look. The new look of village graphics highlights how milk from the farm reaches the consumer’s home.

     

    The official spokesperson for Mother Dairy said, “Mother Dairy is a brand synonymous with quality, trust, and purity. We wanted to communicate the same approach in our packaging as well. Our new brand packaging is both impactful and informative in communicating our brand value to end users. Setting a new standard in the dairy industry with this packaging change, we are confident that these products will be enthusiastically received by our consumers. Consumer research shows that villages are synonymous to purity. We have taken this insight and brought it alive in our packaging.”

     

    Mother Dairy milk is available in six variants which are differentiated on the basis of color. In order to avoid any confusion among consumers, the new packs will be available in the same color for all the variants but with new design. This packaging change is prevalent across all regions where the Mother Dairy milk is available viz. Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.

     

    The new pack has been designed by South Asia’s leading brand consulting and design company named Ray and Keshavan, The Brand Union. Speaking on behalf of Ray and Keshavan, Meeta Malhotra, Director, says ‘Mother Dairy is an amazing brand that is loved and trusted by consumers across all demographics. The new milk pack interprets the core promise of purity and trust in an entirely contemporary way. It is always a privilege to work with Mother Dairy because the brand has an Indian heart and soul while meeting the highest global standards of quality.’

     

  • Key points to remember which cash in on radio’s immediacy and appeal, from Rochak Kohli

    The Anchor: 5 ways a radio station can attract more listeners

    By Rochak Kohli

     

    #1 Be Here And Now – Topicality is the key to listenership. Radio is a here-and-now medium and one must stay true to its basic nature.

     

    #2 Entertain – Radio should act as best friend to the listeners. Entertainment doesn’t mean being frivolous… Radio should be meaningful entertainment. It should inspire listeners.

     

    #3 Utility Heavy – Regular utilities make listeners habituated to your station. They match their clocks with you, follow the roads as you say. Utilities are the easiest way of making radio part of the listener’s lives.

     

    #4 Interact – Listeners always feel special when they hear their voice on the radio. They feel heard, and believe that they are also a part of the system. An opinion, a dedication, a debate will make them stay tuned.

     

    #5 Innovate Constantly – Innovation always helps you remain fresh. It’s simpler to innovate in radio, as execution of an idea is instant. New benchmarks, surprise songs and new formats will make you the favourite.

     

    Rochak Kohli is AVP Programming at 92.7 BIG FM.

     

  • Answers and three winners of Buzzer #7

    Buzzer # 7 – Answers and Winners

     

     

    Answers to Buzzer # 7 – Special on Taproot – Dentsu

    1. JWT (Aggie) and Leo Burnett (Paddy)
    2. Last Minute Inventory
    3. Mumbai Mirror
    4. Sandeep Goyal
    5. Lodestar UM
    6. Aegis
    7. Jang Group
    8. Food Food
    9. Sony (for ICC events in 2006 – 2007 and IPL)
    10. Climbing Mt Fuji

     

    There is no First Prize this week as we received no all-correct entry. However, instead of one Second Prize, we are happy to award three Second Prizes – all of who have won prizes in the past (in alphabetical order of their first names)- Anil Sathiraju (DDB Mudra), Himanshu Agarwal (Infosys) and Natasha Dhingra (Aidem). Winners will be informed by mail on how the prizes will reach them.

     

     

  • The act of WaPo journalist picking up "lovely" Caravan magazine quotes without a 'courtesy', was worse than Fareed Zakaria's transgression, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Denyer’s unfair and ‘lovely’ act

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The right of the Washington Post and its journalist Simon Denyer to say what they want about Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh is undeniable. And equally undeniably, the government is wrong in trying to either demand an apology or even get publicly petulant about criticism.

     

    However, it now turns out that Denyer had used quotes by Ramachandra Guha and Sanjay Baru which had been given and appeared in Caravan magazine. Denyer was asked by firstpost.com about this lack of clarity over where the quotes came from. Denyer said he had an email exchange with Baru about his quotes in Caravan and later spoke to him: “Then I raised the Caravan quotes which I thought were lovely and asked him if he could freshen them up.

     

    He said I could use the quotes but gave me his mobile number in case I wanted to talk.

     

    From the Washington Post
    “Correction:

    An earlier version of this article failed to credit the Caravan, an Indian magazine, for two statements that it originally published in 2011. The assertion by Sanjaya Baru, a former media adviser, that Singh had become an object of ridicule and endured the worst period in his life first appeared in the Caravan, as did an assertion by Ramachandra Guha, a political historian, that Singh was handicapped by his “timidity, complacency and intellectual dishonesty.” While both men told The Post that the assertions could accurately be attributed to them, the article should have credited the Caravan when it used or paraphrased the remarks.”

     

    I called him up. We chatted about the PM’s record. He said the first half of the PM’s second term was a “disaster” and “completely wasted.” He also said PM “could have made use of the opportunity he got in 2009. He chose not to.”

     

    It is hard to understand why, having already “chatted” with Baru, Denyer needed to use the Caravan quotes at all. He could have asked Baru for fresh quotes, which he already seems to have. Even if he thought that the Caravan quotes were “lovely”, that’s to Caravan’s credit.

     

    All possible explanations do not do Denyer much credit. Caravan is a small Indian magazine – maybe he thought no one really reads it and certainly not in the US. Or that Baru and Guha were unwilling to provide similar “lovely” and juicy quotes to him – although it is hard to understand why. The Caravan interviews were in 2011. The UPA’s plight has significantly worsened in 2012.

     

    A simple act of courtesy would have been to credit Caravan for the quotes. A correction (at the end of this article) has since been appended to the story on the Washington Post website.

     

    It is interesting to compare this case with the Fareed Zakaria one. Zakaria was suspended for a month when it was revealed that he used data from an article in his blog, passing it off as his own or without crediting the writer. Zakaria picked up a few facts and did not change the language or order in which they appeared, which is what gave him away.

     

    His transgression was far less serious than Denyer’s and yet he had to face suspension from Time magazine and CNN. He made an immediate apology.

     

    The Government of India appears to be more than happy to try and curb and curtail the media in any way possible. Instances like this will only make their resolve stronger, even though the Washington Post’s transgressions are to do with media ethics and courtesy and do not take away from the media’s right to freedom of expression.

     

    There is a lesson here for all journalists, young and old, who like to take shortcuts in the way they do their stories or get their information.

     

     

     

  • As the 6th edition of India's #1 Quiz Show starts tonight, try our special edition of MxM Buzzer+MEC & media agency captains on how KBC6 will fare

    So how much do you know about KBC?

     

    By Sorbojeet Chatterjee

     

    1) Big B plays the role of a quiz master on KBC. Which quiz master is the behind the scenes star as the producer and director of this blockbuster TV show

     

    2) Sushil Kumar, the famous 5 Crore winner from the last season of KBC, recently participated in a reality show. Identify the show?

     

    3) Slumdog Millionaire was based on KBC where Anil Kapoor played the anchor. Which bestselling book was the movie adapted from?

     

    4) Who was the first celebrity guest on KBC?

     

    How will KBC rate this season?
    By Meghna Sharma

     

    When people press the power button on the TV remote today at prime time, it will be a little different from other days. Tonight sees the return of Amitabh Bachchan to the small screen hosting the sixth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). Viewers will enter the world of information and trivia, pitting their living-room wits against the contestants or just enjoying the Big B’s banter and easy chatting style.

     

    Whatever the reason, Sony will be hoping to nab as many eyeballs as possible.

    And if MEC, a media buying and planning agency and a founding partner of Group M, is to be believed, KBC 2012 is estimated to deliver 10 percent higher viewership than before. MEC partnered with Meritus Analytics India Ltd to find out the estimate for this season. The approach used for KBC was based on past learning from IPL estimation and the fact that increase in TVRs for a new programme is due to a combination of increase in PUT (People Using Television) and people already viewing television moving to the new programme from their regular programming. MEC and Meritus built a statistical model using a set of TV shows to understand the factors affecting PUT and channel share for such non-sports programmes.

     

    The key influencing factors delineated are:

    > Programme promotions on the channel, network and also other channels
    > Promotion across other media like Radio and Newspapers
    > Search volume index as a measure of viewer buzz
    The base channel share of the airing channel

     

    MEC estimates that the programme will deliver higher than last year due to three reasons.

    1. Sony as a channel has seen  its viewership base grow since the launch of KBC last year. Therefore the base viewership for the channel is at a higher level compared to the last season.

    2. Search volumes indicate that the buzz is almost double of last season.

    3. Also the fact that the show has moved to the weekend without clashing with the weekly soaps could add to viewership.

     

    MxMIndia spoke to other media planners to find out what they think, and what they predict for the show.

     

    Ambika Srivastava
    Chairperson, ZenithOptimedia India and chairperson, VivaKi Exchange

    I think the show will do well; however, it is difficult to say if it’s going to be 5 percent or 10 percent or 15 percent. The content strategy of the show is very interesting and it has a very broad-based appeal. The contestants in the show come from different backgrounds and represent the ‘aam adami’ and it is this connect which appeals to the masses and makes them switch on their television sets. Having said that, I do believe that only time will tell how it will perform this time around too.

     

     ______________________

     

     

    Neel Kamal Sharma
    COO – Buying, Madison Group

    I don’t think the ratings will be higher than last year; on the contrary, I think it will be tough even to maintain its last season’s TVRs as building weekend viewership has always been difficult, compared to weekdays. However, there is no doubt that the show has performed consistently over the years. The main reason is that there has been some fresh thought on both execution and promotion. I recollect elements like connecting well with small town viewers, touching their heart via audition of people who have screen presence or some charisma to make content more interesting for viewers. Sony has really worked on it every year for it not to become monotonous, so I am pretty confident that they will continue to re-apply their learnings from the past.

     

    ________________________________

     

    Suresh Balakrishnan
    CEO, BPN India

    According to our company, this year the show will be able to generate 5.6 percent TVR in the opening weekend. This is because firstly, the show this time will be aired on the weekend which can lead to more eyeballs. Secondly, in the past 12 weeks the channel has been doing well. Thus, having the momentum will help the show and the channel too. Lastly, the ‘gyaan’ route which they have taken this season seems to be working. It has a connect with tier II and III cities.

     

    Year after year, the show has been performing consistently. In the beginning it was Amitabh Bachchan and the money. Although these two still remain a major factor, over the years it is the hope of becoming somebody from a nobody which has attracted the common man. Look at last year’s winner, he’s a mini celebrity today!

     

    ____________________________

     

    Mohit Joshi
    Managing director, MPG

    I’m not sure if it will be 10 percent, but I do expect the ratings to go up this year as the platform (Sony) has also evolved over time and has a better base-level performance today. Apart from Big B knack of connecting with the viewers, another reason why it will help the show is the fact that it’s on the weekend. It will definitely push up the buzz as we saw in the case of Satyamev Jayate. Also, a weekend slot will ensure no conflict with the ongoing daily soaps which will be an added advantage. However, to break from the monotony, since it’s been running for years now, the channel can take a few steps:

     

    1. Make the show more socially relevant

    2. Need to go to the next level of contributing positively to the primary education of this country by creating KBC hubs in localities which support educational programmes and create local millionaires

     

    5) Mr Bachchan is synonymous with ‘Lock Kiya Jaaye’. What phrase did SRK use?

     

    6) Which celebrity was roped in to host KBC in Bhojpuri for Mahuaa TV?

     

    7) What is Harshvardhan Nawathe’s claim to fame?

     

    8 ) Which advertising agency is behind the popular KBC marketing campaigns (Koi bhi sawaal chota nahin hota and Sirf Gyaan hi aapko aapka haq dilate hai) for Season 4 and 5?

     

    9) What is the lifeline called where the contestant can guess 2 answers for a particular question?

     

    10) Which brand integrated their campaign ‘Ek Crore Ka Shortcut’ with KBC during the last season?

     

    11) Bengali superstars Mithun Chakravarty and Prosenjit Chatterjee were offered to host KBC in Bengali. However which celebrity was eventually signed?

     

    12) Celador sold the rights of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire to a Dutch company 2waytraffic in 2006. Which global giant acquired 2waytraffic in 2008?

     

    13) Identify the only celebrity couple/team that has won Rs 1 Crore in KBC?

     

    14) In Season 2, Mr Bachchan shot for 61 out of the 85 episodes before he was critically unwell. When did he return to shoot the balance episodes?

     

    15) What is special about the book Amitabh Ka Khazana?

     

    16) Zee tried to counter KBC with a show that offered 10 Crores as prize money and was hosted by Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala. Name the show?

     

    17) Even Sony created a show called Jeeto Chappad Phaad Ke to try and counter KBC. Who was the host?

     

    18) Kaun Banega Champu was a popular spoof on KBC3 and the host mimicked SRK and was called Ruk Ruk Khan. On which channel was it broadcast?

     

    19) During the last season, Big B handed out Axis Bank cheques to the winner. This was a much talked about media innovation during Season 1 of KBC. Which bank pioneered this integration?

     

    20) Sachin Tendulkar and Madhuri Dixit came together on KBC Season 1 for a special show to raise funds for the victims of which calamity?

     

    21) During Sushil Kumar’s journey of answering the questions to win the biggest prize, which former TV news presenter was the ‘expert’ who answered the 1 Crore question correctly?

     

    22) Which television actress has appeared thrice on KBC winning 3.2 lakhs in Season 1, 6.4 lakhs in Season 2 and 25 lakhs in Season 5?

     

    23) ‘Lock Kiya Jaye’ became a catchphrase after the first season of KBC. Identify the country where this was first used as ‘Lock it in’ by the host Eddie McGuire?

     

    24) Sushil Kumar from Motihari, Bihar won 5 Crores in Season 5 and created history. Which bestseller author was born in Motihari?

     

    25) Lara Dutta appeared as a celebrity guest along with which tennis player in the second season of KBC?

     See Answers at the bottom of this page

     

    MxM Buzzer, the weekly quiz which goes live every Friday, is compiled by Sorbojeet Chatterjee, vice-President of Neo Sorts. Starting this week, we are discontinuing the contest part of MxM Buzzer and will bring you just the quiz week after week. Enjoy! (PS: we’ll be back with a cooler contest soonest soon!) Please click here for the answers and winners of MxM Buzzer #7

     

     

     

  • WPP has combined its various teams working with Y&R, Wunderman, VML, MEC and GHG to come under the umbrella of Red Fuse Communications

    WPP integrates teams for Colgate-Palmolive under ‘Red Fuse Communications’

    By A Correspondent

     

    This isn’t a first for advertising and marketing services network WPP, but should help the servicing of a key client a great deal. Adland globally has been abuzz with the AdAge newsbreak that WPP has combined its various teams working with creative network Y&R, direct & marcom agency Wunderman, digital shopVML, media agency MEC and healthcare communications firm GHG to come under the umbrella of Red Fuse Communications.

     

    According to the report in Advertising Age, WPP’s Global Managing Partner Stephen Forcione will be CEO, Red Fuse. Mr Focione has been heading the Colgate account thus far and will also be Digital Lead for WPP’s Top 30 clients. Colgate-Palmolive is the 34th largest marketer in the world as per the magazine’s DataCenter. Mumbai will reportedly be among the six cities where the Red Fuse roll-out will happen this year.

     

    Although the Ad Age report quotes the Colgate CMO, the official press areas of both WPP and Colgate are silent on the development.

     

  • Happy to announce the first anniversary of MxMIndia. Look our for a special edition tomorrow by 10am India

    One year and counting!

     

    Happy to announce the first anniversary of MxMIndia. Yes, we launched last year on September 9. Look our for a special edition tomorrow by 10am India.

  • When you know a person for such a long period of time, it becomes a friendly banter, rather than a killer interview

    Anil Thakraney: Behind the interview

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mxmindia has completed one year. And it’s been one helluva ride for this happening portal in terms of breaking news and belting out power opinions. Am sure things will get hotter with time.

     

    I have contributed in many ways out here, but let me celebrate the first anniversary by writing a brief comment piece on five of the big-league personalities I interviewed during the year. This is my own take on them, it’s something you didn’t get to read about in the interview.

     

    (PS: All the rest of the interviews I have done have been equally interesting.  I have chosen these five people at random.)

     

    Piyush Pandey: Always a joy to meet. I have interviewed him on four different occasions, and each time we’ve had many roaring laughs. Even when the topic is serious. I have always believed humour is at the heart of the man’s success. The only downside: It becomes difficult to resist bumming one of his cigarettes. As an ex-smoker, this is the biggest challenge for me when I meet Piyush.

     

    R Balki: Meeting him for an interview is like bonding with an ex-colleague. He was my boss at Lintas, and so we know each other pretty well. This fires up our conversations, and we always have a super exchange. And Balki makes sure he has some fun at my expense too. Well, as they say, once a boss, always a boss! The cigarette resistance challenge exists here as well. Perhaps the only thing common between Piyush and Balki, haha.

     

    Meenal Baghel: Again, she’s an ex colleague, so there was built-in trust during the discussion. I have done many interviews for Meenal, she knows what I do for a living, she commissions the stories because of that. Which is why I am sure she knew exactly what was coming her way. I do suspect Meenal arrived ready for a tough interview. And the best part is, even though the fireworks were blazing, we were mostly smiling through.

     

    Lynn de Souza: We go way back, and this certainly helps. When you know a person for such a long period of time, it becomes a friendly banter, rather than a killer interview. But this didn’t stop me from going after her. And what partially saved Lynn that day is that my tape recorder conked out half way through. Hot tip for young journos: Lynn is a dog lover. Wax eloquently about your pet (even if you don’t have one), and be assured of an insightful interview. 🙂

     

    Agnello DiasAgnello Dias: A totally refreshing experience. You return home feeling better as a human being. And that’s because Aggie, despite his glorious achievements, is completely down to earth and simple. He’s not changed a bit since he started out as a young copywriter. My belief is that staying grounded has helped Aggie connect with the man on the street. Hope he is able to retain the earthiness post the Dentsu acquisition. The moment Aggie lets it all go to the head, the road is downhill.

     

    Congrats to mxmindia. And here’s looking forward to many more interesting interviews in the coming period.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and editor living in Mumbai. He has held top positions in advertsing agencies as well as newspapers. And he is Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. Mr Thakraney writes for MxM a blog that appears thrice a week (Hard Knocks) and a creative review (Debrief) twice. And, of course, he also does an interview at least once a month (that’s enough, we can hear media honchos whispering. – Ed).